News & Notes
Over on cable, Bravo has the first season finale of Make Me a Supermodel and the series premiere of Step It Up & Dance, Discovery Channel has the first season finale of Bone Detectives, MTV has the series premiere of Rock the Cradle, and TLC has the first season finale of LA Ink.
In returning show news, NBC will have the return of 30 Rock, The Office, Scrubs and ER starting next week.
In Fall 2008 news, NBC announced that the Thursday night lineup would look just like last fall, but without Scrubs. In its place will be four SNL Thursday Night Live episodes leading up to the presidential election and then a spinoff of The Office. Lipstick Jungle, which spent its inaugural season on Thursday nights during the strike, will be back this fall, but on Wednesday nights. I will have more on NBC’s Fall 2008/Winter 2009/Summer2009 announcement, later today.
Also, later today, look for my review of tomorrow’s fourth, and final, season premiere of Battlestar Galactica, not that we can tell you much about it, do to the agreement we had to sign with Sci Fi Channel to get it, but I can say that if you have been looking forward to its return, this episode will not disappoint. Now, let’s get on with tonight’s picks.
Prime Picks
Miss Guided (ABC): New. Becky is in charge of the latest school musical and gets teamed up with the least creative member of the faculty to pull it together.
Miss Guided (ABC): Season Finale. Lisa goes to Becky for some dating advice. This show has been a lot of fun. I really like it and hope that ABC will give it another shot next season. What do you think? Would you like to see this cast of characters back next season?
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS): New. A dangerous gang is being investigated for multiple deaths of multiple witnesses to the grand jury, all while each member is battling the flu. In May, the rumored switch of writing staffs between CSI and Two and a Half Men will take place. An episode of each show will be penned by the other show’s writing staff. Will you be watching? I will, well I would have been anyway, but still, it sounds like a lot of fun.
Eli Stone (CBS): New. Eli is having flashbacks that allow him to learn more about his brother and their father. This show falls into the category, along with Miss Guided above, of shows that I hope will get renewed for a second season, in this case by ABC.
Solid Selections
My Name Is Earl (NBC): New. Earl is unconscious and many a person, place or Paris Hilton run through his mind. Runs 60 minutes.
The Office (NBC): Repeats. First up, Michael puts his creativity to use in “Local Ad” and then in “Branch Wars,” Michael fights to keep Stanley from being poached by a rival branch. Two more repeat episodes, “Survivor Man” and “The Deposition,” follow in the final hour of primetime.
Without a Trace (CBS): New. Jack goes missing while the team searches for a doctor that has gone missing.
Cable Choices
American Chopper (TLC): Repeats. Both episodes that include the build for the My Name Is Earl bike replay. Both play again later.
Ace of Cakes (Food Network): New. Following a repeat of the episode where they build a cake for the Baltimore Zoo, we get a new episode that has the gang building two car cakes and two medical theme cakes. Both episodes play again later.
Other Options
- Lost (ABC): Repeat. The second episode from this season, “Confirmed Dead,” replays with popup text enhancements, I believe.
- Smallville (The CW): Repeat. The “Siren” episode, or the one with the Black Canary, replays.
Sports Notes
- ESPN has college basketball action with the NIT final.
- ESPN2 has women’s golf action with round one of the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
- Golf Channel has men’s golf action with round one of the Shell Houston Open.
- TNT has a NBA doubleheader with the Chicago Bulls at the Cleveland Cavaliers followed by the Houston Rockets at the Portland Trail Blazers.
Late Night
- Battlestar Galactica: Revealed (USA): Repeat. Producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick discuss the series leading into season four. Or, you can just watch it online anytime.
- Battlestar Galactica: Phenomenon (USA): Repeat. Celebrities discuss how much they frakkin’ love the show. Or, you can watch it online anytime.
TV Marathons
Bravo has 11 episodes of Make Me a Supermodel.
MTV has 12 episodes of America’s Next Top Model.
Oxygen has eight hours of programming featuring comedian Mo’Nique.
Sci Fi continues with another 10 episodes of Battlestar Galactica beginning early that includes the season two finale and the first nine episodes of season three. Ten more play tomorrow.
VH1 has the five-part 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders.
Today’s question is, who would you rather see pop up in your favorite sitcom, Britney Spears or Paris Hilton?
